Queen’s Brian May Admits Being Named ‘The Greatest’ Makes Him Smile

Queen guitarist Brian May touched on the feeling of being named the greatest guitar player in the world.

Brian May‘s guitar playing has been described as nothing short of iconic. The legendary Queen guitarist has captivated audiences for decades with his innovative and distinctive style, which is characterized by his use of complex harmonies, soaring melodies, and richly textured soundscapes.

May‘s instrument mastery is evident in his ability to seamlessly blend classical and rock guitar styles, often incorporating intricate arpeggios and fingerpicking patterns into his compositions. In addition, his playing is marked by an incredible level of precision and control, allowing him to deliver powerful riffs and solos with ease and finesse.

But it is not just May‘s technical skill that makes him such a revered guitarist. His music is infused with emotion and passion, and he can remarkably convey a wide range of feelings through his playing. Whether he is delivering a thunderous riff or a delicate acoustic melody, May‘s guitar work is always imbued with a sense of sincerity and authenticity.

In his recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Brian May reflected on being named the greatest guitar player by Guitar World. He admitted that being named the greatest makes him smile but nothing because there are millions of great guitar players, as he said. The guitarist, however, reveals the best part of guitar playing.

“I take everything like that with a pinch of salt really, ‘cause you can’t say who’s best,” Brian says. “The nice thing about guitar playing is that everybody’s different; you can’t really rank people. Of course I’ve got my favourites too but the fact that people put me in that position makes me smile.”

Queen legend then seemed humble. Praising Nuno Bettencourt over his talent, Brian May said that he plays better than him.

“There’s people I listen to everyday that do things that I could never do,” he continues. “Nuno, I listen to Nuno Bettencourt and I just smile because it’s so beautiful and it’s way out of what I could ever do. It doesn’t bother me, ‘cause I don’t feel in competition, I just love the guy and I love what he does.”

Concluding his words, Brian May showed off his respect for the late Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain. He said it wasn’t about competition and playing guitar shouldn’t be about proving anything, and Kurt was a great example of that.

“There’s not a lot of technical stuff there and he didn’t work that hard at being technical and yet he gives us a legacy of some of the greatest guitar music of all time,” he said.